Congress of Aboriginal Peoples

The Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP ) is a political umbrella organization in Canada that provides their clientele in those members of the First Nations and Métis who do not live on a reservation or are recognized as Indians. The latter are referred to as non- status Indians.

In this case, they are not even members, but their representatives are member organizations in the CAP. These are organized by provinces and territories, and are accordingly called provincial and territorial organizations ( PTOs ). Each of them has their own regulations and is funded separately on the basis of the Aboriginal Representative Organization Program ( AROP ) by the state and at the same time on the part of the relevant territorial unit. In the larger provinces these in turn by region ( regions) or zones ( zones ) organized, but there are also offices in various communities. Headquartered in Ottawa. There the annual meetings are held to each PTO sends 16 delegates, of which at least one of an elder, resp. must be an elder, or a young ( youth ) must be among them. In a secret ballot every three years, Chief and Vice Chief ( about: chief and vice- chief ) elected.

The PTO has about the Aboriginal Affairs Coalition of Saskatchewan, based in Saskatoon, the Alliance Autochtone du Quebec Inc, the Aboriginal Council of Manitoba, the Federation of Newfoundland Indians, the Labrador Metis Nation, the New Brunswick Aboriginal Peoples Council, the Native Council of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Iceland, the Ontario Coalition of Aboriginal Peoples and the United Nations Native Society.

The organization was formed in 1971 under the name Native Council of Canada, and was led by Tony Belcourt 1971-1974. So far, two women were President, namely Gloria George (1975-1976) and Viola Robinson ( 1990-1991). Her current President or Chief Patrick Brazeau is an Algonquin from the reserve of Kitigan Zibi in Maniwaki (since February and November 2006). He studied Social Sciences and Civil Law at the University of Ottawa and is the 12th Chief of the organization.

The CAP assumes that 79 % of the Native ( Aboriginal ) outside the Reserves lives, while the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development indicates significantly lower numbers, and assumes that about half of the indigenous people living on reservations.

In the elections of 2006, the organization supported the Conservative Party of Canada. In 2000, the organization turned against the Firearm Control Act, the Weapons Control Act, which provided for the registration of all weapons. The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations in 1995 saw their contractually guaranteed hunting rights by the law at risk, because they relied on contracts that guaranteed them the same life as they had done traditionally it before signing the contract.